• Posted on
• by William Lee Adams

In February she won Depi Evratesil with her urban track “Diamonds” — a call for all people to unleash their potential and let their gifts shine. And on March 13 Athena Manoukian was most definitely shining as she released the final edit and revamp of her song, along with the music video.

Her time away from the spotlight has been put to very good use. The song — which nods to Cardi B, Drake and other icons of our time — is more polished and fine-tuned. And it comes with a cinematic masterpiece that sizzles like curry in hot oil. Give me that spice!

Some had complained that the original was monotonous. Well not anymore. Subtle production tweaks mean there are frequent changes in sounds and texture. New additions include a deep synth reverb, more prominent percussion taps and intense clapping. The presence of the claps adds to the fire and gives the electronic production a very human touch.

About 1:20 in we hear vocal breaths — a deep huh, huh, huh — and at 1:40 sci-fi space sounds take us to a new realm. The bridge at 2:15 now comes with major bass. Amid the instrumental Athena adds the lyrics “hurt me”, cutting through the vocal silence and creating a moment of intense connection. The final 20 seconds crank up the heat and when the song stops you want to hit replay. Just wow.

The sonic changes aren’t the only thing to cheer about. Athena has delivered a breath-taking music video that features on-point choreography and plenty of looks.

The video shows off Athena’s ability to move and steal the spotlight. Despite the presence of what feels like an army of dancers, all eyes go to her. At moments she stands on a massive diamond platform — helping to convey the new heights this song has reached. At other moments she serves face bathed in a purple light. Even when things go dim she shines bright like a diamond — teasing the beauty that will come in Rotterdam.

“I’m very happy to present my music video to everyone and I really hope that fans all around the world will love it!” Athena says in a statement sent to Wiwibloggs. “We had only 2 weeks after Depi Evratesil to revamp the song and shoot the music video, and after days and nights of rehearsals and preparations I’m very excited to share the result of our work. It is truly a joy working alongside such a professional team and believe me, we have a lot more surprises coming up!”

“Chains On You” is composed by Athena Manoukian and DJ Paco, and written by Athena Manoukian. The revamp of the song was done by Armenian singer/songwriter Artem Valter. The music video was directed by Arthur Manukyan — Armenia’s top director.

https://wiwibloggs.com/2020/03/13/diamonds-shining-on-athena-manoukian-armenia-releases-eurovision-revamp-and-music-video/251910/